Exile
by Cute Gallifreyan
Summary: An elvish like alien is exiled on Earth for over five hundred years is found by the Doctor and Rose spured on by local myths regarding an Elf that lives in a nearby forest.[COMPLETE]
1. The Trial

**A/N: This is a story slightly of my own creation with Doctor Who entangled within. I have been aching actually to write a slightly original story, my own creative writing talents, and put in The Doctor (10th) somewhere in between. I hope you enjoy the story. I am not sure if anyone will read it or even like it, but I just like to write. And just to warn you, the Doctor isn't in this first chapter. **

**I do not own Doctor Who, although I have to say I do own the character of Ta'sheeka and all the elements she has. **

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**Chapter 1: The Trial **

The older curly haired woman with blue eyes and slightly pointed ears looked firm and defiant towards the council. They were twelve children sitting upon well shaped and formed chairs; no doubt the chairs had been grown and formed especially for the leaders of the Mala'shra To human eyes, it might have seemed strange to have a council of children look upon this older woman with disdain.

Mala'shra were different than most species, they began life as an old weathered person and then gradually there bodies aged, in a very unique ageing process to the age of a young child form. But Mala'shra lived at least to a thousand years of age before death came upon them. Most other races found them a strange and odd race and never bothered with them and that suited the Mala'shra just fine, they preferred a quiet life, at least those in the upper and higher castes preferred the quiet life. However, the lowest caste members of the Mala'shra left home often and quite frequently, only because they were not liked and frowned upon by the other castes and sects of their people. Being a low born Mala'shra did not offer many opportunities on their home planet.

The older curly haired woman was from such a caste and she was guilty. Guilty, not only of being born of a low caste but guilty of causing a rift in Mala'shra culture, she had spoken out against the system that her people had established throughout their society. It had first been considered an annoyance, but then when others of like minded Mala'shra had voiced out against it, the leaders of the Mala'shra were scared, for they relied upon the caste system to support them. They slowly began to imprison and even kill the leaders of this new movement. And what had slowly began as outspoken criticism had quickly turned to a rebellion among the lower castes. A rebellion that had been quickly squashed and this woman was now brought before the elders for punishment. She looked at them defiantly not afraid of what they might do to her. If she was sentenced to death, she knew that the great goddess Mala, from which all Mala'shra believe, had formed them, and would grant her pardon. She truly believed that the goddess had called her and led her to lead her people to a new age. A new age, without the castes, where all would be upheld in like manner, a free society. One she dreamed since she had come forth from the plant like husk that bore her, as a new offspring.

"Ta'sheeka Nirata, you stand before us condemned of crimes against the government of Mala'shra. You have spoken up against the elders, the leaders of our race. You then condoned open rebellion and have caused the deaths of countless people. What have you to say concerning your crimes?"

Ta'sheeka looked at the young boy who voiced her crimes, his name was Ra'shashan, and he was the eldest of the elders, he was at least 875 years of age and considered by many to be wise. Although Ta'sheeka, considered him intolerant of others, she ached to reach for one of the weapons that the guard held that protected the fragile leaders of her people. The guards were about her same age maybe a bit older but they were trained to protect the elders. The elders were old and could no longer defend themselves so they had others protect them. But her hands were bound with a Ka'sha, a living animal that had been bred and raised to restrain criminals or unruly citizens. She could not kill the elders, although her heart ached to do so.

But she had one weapon left, her sprit. Although she was tired, for she had been tortured the night before by the guard. They had wanted her to tell the names of her resistance. But Ta'sheeka had refused. Even though, her body carried numerous bruises, cuts, and injuries, Ta'sheeka had kept her sprit alive. She had waited a long time to speak her mind to these infantile, yet old leaders of her people and she spoke.

"Leaders of the Mala'shra, I am not sorry for my crimes. I carry them gladly, I carry them proudly. You have done all you could to break my sprit. You poured lies into my heart; you told me that my revolution was dead. You poured agony into my soul with the names of my beloved compatriots who you murdered. Then you beat me and tormented me with physical pains hoping to get me to break. But I am still here and my heart still beats with the desire to see your destruction. You keep a segment of my people in slavery, with menial tasks and positions. They can never become scientists; they can never form our bio-technology which serves us on our home. They can never be soldiers and fight and defend our home, they can not be healers, and heal the wounds of our people. They can not even produce food. We can only serve these castes and be left in a low state. Our only hope is to leave home, but why should we? We shouldn't be forced to look towards the stars of other planets for a new life, when we could live our lives here. I have spoken against our society for a long time and when violence came, regrettably I took up violence to protect the people you sought to kill. I fought for a new way and a new view. For that I am not ashamed. I am only ashamed that I didn't kill you when I had a chance."

The leaders of the Mala'shra were quiet for a moment, Ta'sheeka knew they were conversing amongst themselves, for Mala'shra were also telepathic and they spoke to each other much like the plant and animal life that existed on her planet. Her words were treasonous, treason was punishable with death. Although, if they killed her, it might bring new outrages to the planet, she would become a martyr, a voice that died for the beliefs she spoke. Death would have been easier for this leader of the low castes, but for some reason when the young child like voices of the leaders spoke the death that Ta'sheeka had thought would come, it did not. Ra'shashan, spoke out her sentence.

"Ta'sheeka it is has been talked and decided among us, to exile you. We will not let you become a death and a martyr. But that is what you wanted, is it not wayward one? But we will not allow it. Death is not an agreeable punishment, at least this time. No, from this exile you can not return, for if you do, you will be swiftly and soundly put to death."

Ta'sheeka laughed, "What no death, what kind of outrage is this? I am to be condemned without being condemned. Then it is true, the leaders of our planet are weak and are cowards. Kill me now, kill me where I stand."

This brought a lot of noise from the elders and a girl spoke, whose name was known as At'annla "We will not give death to a person who wants death. It is dishonorable. If you choose to kill yourself in your exile, then that is your doing not ours."

Ta'sheeka's eyes went wide, "Suicide! You would have me kill myself, rather than do the task that you can not. I would rather come back and have you kill me, than kill myself in such a disgraceful manner."

At'annla looked at Ta'sheeka, "What makes you think that you will be given a chance to come back and let yourself be killed? Anyone who decides to bring you back would be killed with you. And we don't intend to give you a ship so you can come back. You will be given to our planetary guard and be exiled to a planet. What planet, you may wonder? A long time ago, our ancestors explored the planets past our star system of Kin'ra, the Star Spear, and explored over 10,000 light years away from our home of Mala'shi. The elders and I have discussed this in depth and have decided to exile you to the planet, Ta'arra. Although I have heard that the natives there call the planet, Earth."

Ta'sheeka snorted, "I just as soon have you kill me."

Ra'shashan smiled lightly, "Perhaps the natives will give you your wish, they are suspicious beings, or so the stories have said. They kill strangers and fear them. Perhaps they will kill you."

He looked at the guard, "Take her away…."

Ta'sheeka glared at them, "I vow with the last breath of my body that I will return. I do not know how, but if the goddess wills it, I will return and I will kill you." Ta'sheeka struggled against the guards that roughly extracted her from the room.


	2. Contemplation

**A/N: Yea for reviews. I like to cross my genres, btw. So this may be a bit fantasy as well as Sci-Fi. But it's my own story and I am having fun writing it. **

**I do not own Doctor Who but I do own Ta'sheeka and her past. **

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**Chapter Two: Contemplation **

Sitting in a cell, in one of the organic ships of the Mala'shra, Ta'sheeka sat pondering her fate. The planet Ta'arra, she thought of all the stories she knew concerning the planet. Sitting and listening along with her brothers and sisters to the legends and history they had regarding their past:

_A long time ago, our people traveled across the stars, curiosity was their master, and exploration was a fascination, our people did not decide to stay home. _

This would always prompt a question from her.

"_Mother, why do our people, not travel as much anymore?" _

Her mother would smile and would answer.

_Because, child our people saw that the others around them were different, and became afraid of them. They did not grow the things they needed like we do. They relied on metal machines, wires, strange devices to do their will. Our people saw them as a corruption to our way of life and came home to Mala'shi thoroughly disgusted by them. Our people also did not understand them, they were different than us. There leaders looked like our newly sprouted offspring and there young ones looked like our leaders. It was strange to us._

Ta'sheeka would badger her mother yet again with another question.

"_Did they harm us?" _

Her mother would respond:

_Many races thought because our leaders looked like their children, sought to conquer us and bring us under their domain. They were foolish, child. Our bio-tech was powerful and we drove them back, humbled. Many signed treaties with us and we signed treaties with them as well. Even though our bio-tech was powerful, we still suffered the affects of war. The clan system of our people deteriorated and with the death of one of the twelve clan fathers, chaos erupted. The remaining fathers fought over their brother's position, and civil war erupted among us. And then the stranger came. He mocked our war and the fathers of the clans were overthrown. And then the stranger disappeared, it was as if he never existed. But we know he did exist for he came in a strange blue box. _

Ta'sheeka would then ask another question and her brothers and sisters would pester her and state:

_Who cares about the stranger, we want to know about the planets our ancestors visited, we already heard about the war and how our people established the elders, the wisest and oldest among us as our leaders and they established our castes, why do you want to hear about the civil war, Ta'sh?_

Ta'sheeka's mother would laugh and stated, _"you leave your sister be, she is the youngest and has not heard about the war and why things are as they are, now." _

Ta'sheeka would whine, _"It's because of the stranger that we live the way we do. It is his fault that we have the castes and that we live so poorly." _

Her mother would then continue with the narrative.

_Some planets were strong others were weak. We often gave gifts to the leaders of planets. Gifts of flowers, gifts of food, and gifts of wisdom of how to farm the land better. The people of Ta'arra called us fair ones; they called us people from the sky. Eventually we left them for we had felt we had taught them all we could with their poor land and their poor technology. But enough lessons for tonight, my children. It is time for dinner and we must eat. _

Ta'sheeka felt the ship land, she already missed her family, but her family was dead. They had been the first killed when she had protested the way her people lived. There lives had been taken as an example and a warning to stop her protest; it was their deaths that lead her to more violent methods. She felt lonelier being sentenced to an exile far away from her planet and from the people of her birth. The guards fetched her out of her cell and she was made to walk outside of the ship.

As they walked out of the ship, it was a strange land, mostly trees, very primitive indeed. They undid her bonds and one of the guards handed her a survival pack, filled with basic Mala'shraian bio tech that might help her survive in exile. And then the Mala'shraian ship left and she was alone. In the days, years and centuries that passed, Ta'sheeka managed to survive. Even though, the humans at this time still treated her as if she was a mythical being, Ta'sheeka was scared that she would be found out and killed. So over 500 years passed and rumors spread to the present day of a woman who looked like an elf or perhaps a nymph. For all Mala'shra had pointed ears and a waif-like look about them. However, Ta'sheeka did not know that the day was coming soon that she would meet the stranger in the blue box, one that would affect her future in so many different ways.


	3. Camping is Fun

**A/N: This is a longer chapter than most of my chapters. But I really liked the way this turned out. By the way there are some Torchwood elements in this chapter, hope you enjoy it. And please R/R. Free David Tennent heart shaped cookies to those who review. **

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**Chapter 3: Camping is fun **

"Ahh come on Doctor it will be fun. I thought you liked camping. Besides don't you want to camp in some spot where it's rumored to be haunted by fairies, elves, and nymphs," Rose wiggled her fingers lightly in joking, "ooooh spooky…." Rose looked around the forest, Roundstone Woods. It was one of these forests that were old and ancient, she wondered briefly if some of these trees might be as old as the Doctor. It was also a bit cold and she was glad she had a nice warm jacket on.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "I prefer being in the TARDIS than camped out on wet soggy ground, thank you very much. Besides it gets cold, and then there are spiders. I have you know I hate spiders. They're creepy for one, then they crawl, and then if I am lucky they'll bite or do something nasty and I'll end up dying and regenerating."

Rose smirked and shook her head, "You are such a wimp, Doctor. Besides, I thought you wanted to check out all those local legends about this elf lady of the forest."

The Doctor coughed, "I am not a wimp. And I just don't like spiders, bad memories. And I do want to find out more about this 'elf.' I can think of a dozen or so alien species that could fit that description."

"At least it's not a monster, we are after. How bad can an 'elf' be?"

The Doctor smiled, "I once had a bunch of 'elves' as you put it try and kill me, they were in a middle of a civil war, and I helped put a stop to it. It was such a mess on their home planet. They were good people, Rose, but that doesn't mean that good people aren't capable of violence. So don't underestimate anything Rose."

"But I thought elves were suppose to represent goodness, mercy, and are full of grace."

"You have watched way too much Lord of the Rings, Rose. Generally most of the species that qualify as 'elvish' are basically good, but some of them, there just like any other race, capable of good or evil."

Rose smiled and then said, "Whatever you say, Doctor. It still sounds very Tolkienesque to me. Besides, I have never seen you camp before. I bet you can't even set up a tent."

"I can too set up a tent."

Rose chuckled, "I bet you can't do it without the sonic screwdriver."

The Doctor grinned,"Oh ye of little faith. I can set up a tent blindfolded. Besides I use to camp out on Gallifrey."

Rose raised an eyebrow, "Prove it"

"All right, Rose Tyler. Since you are so sure that I can't set up a tent, I'll just have to set up a tent just to prove that I can."

The Doctor opened the doors of the TARDIS with a squeak and went inside. Rose sighed and leaned against a tree and waited for the Doctor to come out with the tent. The TARDIS was enormous, and knowing the Doctor he'd probably get lost in there finding the tent. She looked around and found herself looking at all the wildlife around her.

A short distance away from the TARDIS was a circle of old looking stones near a tree. Rose decided to explore it a bit. She walked off away from the TARDIS; she shivered lightly as she walked further away from the TARDIS. Did it just get colder? She looked at the round circle, in places like this, particularly strange places like this, rumors abounded of fairy circles where the fairies gathered and played.

She sighed and stepped in the middle of the circle. She heard a bit of rustling in the bush and growth of the woods. "Hello? Someone out there?"

A gust of wind suddenly started to blow out of nowhere. And suddenly a hand emerged or seemed to emerge from one of the trees and pushed Rose out of the fairy ring. Rose looked up and saw a woman; she wore course almost woolen looking clothing. A cap covered most of her head, but a few sandy blond curls underneath the cap showed. Her eyes were of a blue color, a color that Rose thought she had never seen before. She seemed rather young to her, probably in her early twenties and about her own age. She said softly to Rose, "Don't stand in the ring…."

Rose frowned, "Why not?"

"I have seen them."

"Seen who?"

The woman shook her head looking incredulously at Rose, "The fairies. They do not like it when humans stand in their rings."

Rose raised an eyebrow, "I am not saying that I believe in fairies…."

The woman chuckled lightly,"They almost killed you, I saved your life. Do not disrespect the fairies, they do exist."

Rose sighed and leaned against a tree, "Whatever you say. I don't understand what you mean, fairies, kill me?"

The woman sighed and shook her head, "They are evil beings. They kill people. They killed a woman once. She came here often and took pictures of them. I should have…."

The woman paused looking a bit sad, "I should have stopped her. Taking pictures of the fairies…you leave the fairies alone and hope they do not bother you."

Rose looked at the woman; she seemed slightly sad and a bit melancholy. She then asked, "Why didn't you stop the woman from taking pictures?"

The woman sighed, "I was scared. People ask too many questions. Torch…" She paused a moment and muttered lightly under her breath and then said, "People ask too many questions and I am afraid."

Rose looked at the woman, "Well thanks for saving my life and not being afraid to do so. I am Rose. And you are?"

The woman looked thoughtful for a moment and looked to be debating as whether to give a name and finally she said, "I am Tash."

Rose raised an eyebrow, "Tash? That's an odd name, is it short for something?" Then again, the Doctor had the oddest name of all. He insisted on being called 'The Doctor' and nothing else.

Tash chuckled lightly, "Maybe…. But your name is pretty; to be named after flowers is an honor."

Rose heard the Doctor's voice calling, "Rose….where are you? Don't tell me you have gone wandering off again."

Tash suddenly cringed lightly and Rose put a hand on her shoulder, "Don't be afraid, that's my friend. He's nice, a bit daft at times, but he's alright."

Tash tried to smile but her lips remained pursed together as if she was terrified. Rose said, "Come on, you should meet him. He'll be pleased to know you saved my life."

Tash dug her hands in her pockets of her woolen outfit, and her hands curled around something. She sighed and Rose pushed her forward, "Come on, don't be bashful. The Doctor won't bite."

Tash moved unwillingly but moved. Rose said, "Doctor….I am alright. How's that tent coming?"

They passed through some of the shrubbery of the woods, Rose had taken her eyes off the woman for a moment and she was gone. Rose frowned. People didn't vanish into thin air, at least not normal people. It reminded her of the time Blaine Slitheen used a teleport and disappeared, but the Doctor had brought her back. Rose pursed her lips and shuddered lightly, Tash, had to have been an alien or she might have been a human that had managed to find a teleportation device. But humans, at least normal humans didn't carry such devices, at least not at this time. So the woman who had saved her life had to have been an alien.

She found the Doctor bent down working on setting up the tent. Rose sighed and shook her head. The tent was lopsided. "If you think I am going to sleep in a lopsided tent, Doctor…."

The Doctor grinned but Rose also noticed that there was a bit of a sparkle in his eyes, Rose always noticed it when the Doctor was fibbing about something, "It was fine. It was fine, Rose. Trust me. I had it pitched right and then you came and it was lopsided."

Rose chuckled lightly, "Right, Doctor….it just suddenly happened to be pitched properly and then I came along and it suddenly just slumped lopsidedly."

"It did Rose. I am telling you it did."

Rose sighed and shook her head, "Whatever you say, Doctor. I still don't think you can set up a tent."

Rose's thoughts went back to Tash and she said, "Umm Doctor? I went off for a bit."

The Doctor sighed still fumbling trying to fit Pole A into Pole B but it wasn't working right, and instead Pole A ended up into Pole D and the tent projected oddly upward. "I know, Rose." He muttered lightly, "Just once I'd like to have a companion who didn't wander off so much."

Rose could tell the Doctor's mind was fully engaged with the tent. She coughed a bit to tell the Doctor that her next words were serious, "I went to explore a fairy circle. I stepped inside of it."

The Doctor's head went up, "Rose, don't you ever do that. Fairies are dangerous. I know you humans think they are cute but they're not."

"I know, Doctor. Someone told me."

The Doctor frowned, "Who? It wasn't me."

"Well I was standing in the ring; it got cold all of a sudden. And a gust of wind came up and suddenly this woman appeared and pushed me out of the ring. She looked human, or at least I thought she was human. But she had these very beautiful blue eyes; they were so beautiful, I have never seen eyes like that before. Anyway she scolded me for standing in the ring, told me that she saved my life that the fairies would kill me."

The Doctor nodded and let out a sigh of relief, someone had managed to save Rose and he was grateful. He had been bumbling around the TARDIS looking for a stupid tent and part of him felt ashamed that he hadn't been there to keep Rose from getting hurt, but someone knew of the danger and pushed Rose out of the way.

"I just found out that her name was Tash, and suddenly you called me and I told her that you'd probably want to meet her and thank her for saving my life. She seemed kind of hesitant and scared. Come to think of it, she seemed rather skittish period. She kept saying she was scared and afraid, and the only reason I think she saved my life was because she felt bad about not saving another person's life. I pulled her along to meet you and suddenly she just disappeared. I think….I think she might have teleported away."

The Doctor nodded and stood up away from the lopsided tent, "Show me, Rose."

Rose nodded and went where she had last seen the woman before she disappeared around some of the bush and wood of this forest. "Here Doctor."

The Doctor took his sonic screwdriver out and did an energy scan, "Hmm slight energy readings. You should have told me sooner Rose, the pattern is a bit dispersed and scattered now. I couldn't reverse her teleport if I tried. I could try. But it might end up killing her, and if she saved your life, I don't want to kill someone who saved you."

"Who do you think she is, Doctor?"

The Doctor sighed and looked thoughtful, "We're in a wood that is filled with a lot of old legends and myths about fairies, elves, gnomes that sort of thing. We were looking for an elf; I think she found us instead."

Rose nodded, "If she saved my life Doctor, she can't be that bad, can she?"

"I don't know Rose. But we're dealing with an alien, that doesn't want to be found. Doesn't want to be noticed, finding her might be really tricky. I'll do some scans…."

Rose grinned,"For alien tech…"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Provided that the scans work. Not all races use technology that can be picked up with scans."

Rose smiled and look back over at the tent, "First's things first, Doctor. You're not getting out of putting that tent up. No matter what's happened, you stated that you could put up a tent blindfolded and…."

The Doctor ran his hands through his hair, "Fine. I'll prove to you that I can put up a tent."

o- A few hours later -o

The Doctor looked at the tent, it still sat lopsided and Rose grinned, "Come on Doctor, its getting dark, I am cold and you're no way close to getting that tent up."

The Doctor looked up at the setting sun and then looked at Rose with pleading eyes, "It's much warmer in the TARDIS, Rose."

Rose rolled her eyes, "Fine, Doctor, we can spend the night in the TARDIS. But tomorrow, we are going to camp outside."


	4. The Stranger of the Blue Box

**A/N: Waah…. Very few people review my work. Come on people. You know you love me. Review, review. You want to push the review button. It only takes a minute. Hehe. I am still writing this though. **

**I own nothing, I only own Ta'sheeka. **

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**Chapter 4: The Stranger of the Blue Box **

Ta'sheeka looked at the blue box curiously. Why did she even think of coming back here? Wasn't it good enough that she had saved the young girl with the name of an Earth flower from death? It was cold in the woods, and Ta'sheeka bundled herself tightly in the warm cloak she had grown and woven together. Being that the cloak was still alive, it reacted to the temperature in the air as well as the temperature of its owner and adjusted its temperature accordingly. The cloak kept Ta'sheeka warm and comfortable and was so much more efficient than any earthen garment. She walked around the box. It was the stuff of legends.

_And then the stranger came. He mocked our war and the fathers of the clans were overthrown. And then the stranger disappeared, it was as if he never existed. But we know he did exist for he came in a strange blue box. _

Ta'sheeka shuddered lightly, was it a bad omen? What had the goddess dropped before her now? She put a hand on the box and jumped back as she bit back a scream, the box was alive. It was as alive as any of the bio-tech that her people used back on her home. It had been a long time since she had felt the life in any piece of sophisticated technology. The box was sentient. Ta'sheeka cocked her head curiously. What kind of person owned this kind of thing?

"_It's because of the stranger that we live the way we do. It is his fault that we have the castes and that we live so poorly." _

Anger filled Ta'sheeka all of a sudden. It was the stranger that had caused her people's society to deteriorate so badly. Not saying the clans were any better but the castes were much worse. And then her exile, well it wasn't related to the stranger, and in a way it was. If he had not put an end to their civil war that had happened over thousands of years ago, she wouldn't have ended up exiled due to the stranger that traveled in this blue box.

She could hear voices coming closer, "I tell you Rose, the TARDIS senses something out there. She's not wrong about these things."

"Whatever you say, Doctor."

Ta'sheeka was ready to bolt when the door opened and the Doctor grinned, "Hello…" Ta'sheeka's heart pounded in her chest and she turned to run, but the Doctor grabbed her by the hand before she could bolt away, "For a Mala'shraian, you're the most skittish thing I have ever met. That is what you are, isn't it?"

Ta'sheeka nodded blandly, too stunned to speak. The Doctor's voice stated to her, "You're a long way from home. How'd you get stuck on Earth, anyway?"

Ta'sheeka suddenly curled up in a ball and collapsed on the ground, "Please…..please don't hurt me."

The Doctor sighed and Rose came up and hugged the poor woman. The woman, even though she was an alien, was terrified beyond belief. "Hurt you? We won't hurt you? Why did you ever think that?"

Ta'sheeka looked at Rose, her blue eyes filled with terror and tears, "Humans….they warned me about humans."

Rose sighed and put a hand on the woman's back and stroked her gently. It was something her mum use to do when she was a child and afraid of something, "Who warned you about humans?"

"The Elders, they said they were suspicious creatures and they might kill me. I don't want to die."

The Doctor still held onto Ta'sheeka's hand and he squeezed it firmly, "Shh, no one is going to kill you, not if I have anything to say about it."

Ta'sheeka felt her whole world spinning. Her heart rate was tremendously high and she collapsed from sheer fright, shock, and exhaustion.

The Doctor sighed and said, "Her nerves are shot. It's a wonder she hasn't died from sheer terror."

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and ran it over Ta'sheeka.

"Doctor, what exactly are you doing?"

"Nothing. Well something. Just curious, I guess."

"About what?"

The Doctor turned off his screwdriver, "She looks pretty young."

"So, what's that got to do with it?"

"Rose, Mala'shra are almost as complex as Time Lords. They don't age in the same way that other species do in the universe. The age in reverse, in fact, they are the only species that I know of that age in that manner."

"You're telling me, that when they are born and are young that they look old and when they get older that they look young."

The Doctor grinned and nodded, "Yep, Amazing, isn't it?"

Rose scratched her head, "Seems confusing to me. How do they talk about age in their society?"

The Doctor grinned, "That's easy, Rose. When they are older looking they are called offspring and children. And when they are older they are called elders or parents or something like that. Just put everything you know about normal ageing in reverse and you have got it."

Rose sighed, "I still don't think I understand. It's just weird, if you ask me."

The Doctor looked at Rose, "How do you think it's for her? Seeing you look so young, she probably thinks you are ancient."

"How old do Mala'shra live?"

"They have an average lifespan of at least a thousand years or so, provided that they don't get sick or die, or get killed. But Mala'shra are pretty durable. They take a licking and keep on ticking. That's the only reason why I think our friend here has survived as long as she has."

Rose smiled lightly, "So if she's young, how old do you think she is?"

The Doctor took her cap off her head revealing her curly sandy blond hair and pointed elvish like ears. He fingered her skin lightly and then said, "Hmm at least 500 or 600 years old, although that's a rough estimate. She's basically middle aged. But feeling her oats and raring to go. It's a good thing she isn't any older."

"Why?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Think Rose, they age in reverse."

"Oh….so you mean like a baby."

The Doctor grinned and nodded, "Yep. And guess who would get to change nappies?"

Rose wrinkled up her nose and the Doctor chuckled, "Don't worry Rose. She's a long way off for that. You probably won't even be around when that happens."

Rose nodded and breathed a sigh of relief, she had done some babysitting before in her life and the thought of changing a kid's nappies was not really a pleasurable thing.

"Doctor, shouldn't we get her inside the TARDIS?"

The Doctor smiled, "You think so?"

Rose nodded and the Doctor sighed and carefully took Ta'sheeka out of Rose's arms and carried her into the TARDIS. He wondered briefly about what he was going to do with her when she woke up. She seemed nice enough. She had saved Rose's life. He also wondered how she ended up on Earth and how long had she been here. Her home was over 10,000 light years away. He'd have a lot of questions to ask her when she woke up. Provided she didn't scream out in sheer terror when she woke up, maybe he should give her a bit of a sedative to calm her frazzled nerves. The more he thought about it, the thought of giving her a sedative would be a kindness. She had clearly been on Earth for a very long time. Her skittish nature had probably developed out of a natural fear for her own life, and Rassilon knew how long she had been here. He walked into one of the many rooms the TARDIS held and carefully laid her down on the bed. Rose followed in with him.

"Doctor, what are we going to do with her?"

"I don't know Rose. Give her some time to recover, okay. It's been a looong time since I dealt with her race. I just hope she wakes up soon. I have got a lot to ask her and my curiosity is killing me."


	5. The story of Ta’sheeka

**A/N all is now revealed about Ta'sheeka and her planet's past. Is the Doctor at fault? Judge for yourself. And R/R, pulls out the Easter Eggs all decorated with David Tennent on them. You may have one if you review. **

**I own nothing, but I do own Ta'sheeka. **

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**Chapter 5: The story of Ta'sheeka **

Consciousness slowly was coming to the alien in the room. The first thing Ta'sheeka felt was the softness of strange blankets and cloth. Where was she? A voice was inside her head. _Relax…. _It sounded like woman's voice. Who was that? Ta'sheeka's eyes slowly opened. She blinked a few times and then looked around the room. This wasn't her home. This wasn't the den she had made in the woods. Her eyes settled upon the Doctor and he smiled.

"Hello. You sure slept for a long time."

Ta'sheeka's eyes narrowed, "Who are you?"

The Doctor smiled, "I am the Doctor and you are?"

Ta'sheeka looked around for a woman and her eyes looked towards Rose, she was asleep in a chair. She said, "I hear a woman. Her voice was in my head."

The Doctor grinned, "Ahh of course, I forgot Mala'shraians are telepathic. That's the TARDIS."

Ta'sheeka looked thoughtful digesting that information, "TARDIS?"

"Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. That's the name of my ship."

Ta'sheeka looked slightly puzzled, "Ship? What ship?"

The Doctor chuckled, "The box, the blue box….that's my ship. You're inside of her."

Ta'sheeka contemplated even more, the blue box, the one that was spoken among her people's history, and then suddenly she cried out, "The stranger, you're the stranger my people speak of in our history and our legends. You're the one who messed up my planet."

The Doctor frowned, "What? I did not mess up your planet. I'll have you know that your planet was on the verge of collapse. Twelve brothers fighting amongst each other, not caring about who lived and died, I helped save your people."

"Perhaps. But what you left us with was not much better. Because of you I was exiled."

Rose woke up suddenly hearing the woman, Tash, yelling at the Doctor, "Huh? What's going on?"

"How? Good morning Rose, the Mala'shraian and I are having a discussion."

Ta'sheeka snorted, "My name is Ta'sheeka. I am Ta'sheeka of the Nirata family. A family…"

Ta'sheeka glared angrily, "I am the only Nirata left. They were all killed, they were all killed and it's my fault."

Ta'sheeka suddenly broke down; she threw her head into the blankets and began to sob. The Doctor sighed, a lot must have happened since he had last been on Mala'shi. He went over and ruffled her hair gently, "I am sorry. I am so sorry. I know what it's like to lose family. Believe me. I don't know what's happened to your planet, Ta'sheeka but I want to find out. Can we talk about it rationally? You keep saying it's my fault, how is it my fault? Tell me what happened from the moment I left."

Ta'sheeka looked at the Doctor thoughtfully and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Alright, I will tell you."

Rose sighed; she couldn't understand how an alien could blame the Doctor for something that happened on her home planet. But then again, the Doctor wasn't perfect, was he? After they left the 2001st century, they had thought they had taken care of things on Satellite 5. And then they ended up pulled back onto Satellite 5, on what was then called the Game Station, things had gotten worse, a lot worse. The Daleks had taken over the station and were transforming humans into Daleks. Hadn't the Doctor told Rose later that a girl, named Lynda, told him that after Satellite 5 closed down, the whole of human civilization had not progressed as he had hoped, but in fact got worse! Perhaps something similar had happened on Ta'sheeka's home. Rose was quiet as Tash or Ta'sheeka, as she called herself, spoke.

Ta'sheeka sighed and looked thoughtful trying to recall and remember all that had happened since the Doctor had left. Most of the history of Mala'shra was told by oral tradition. Even though it was recorded down in membrane data cubes, most Mala'shra learned their history orally and then memorized it for instant recall.

"_A long time ago, after the stranger of the blue box left, the people of the Mala'shra were left pondering over what to do. The brothers were gone and we were free. But many of us were confused; we did not know what do. We turned to our old ones, they were wise, and because they were the oldest among us we believed that they should be our leaders. Such a thing was a wise plan because they had lived many more cycles than most of us. So we agreed and the leadership of the Elders began. The Elders ruled fairly over us and…."_

Ta'sheeka pursed her nose up in contempt at the history she had recalled, "Lies….history is made by conquers. The Elders did not rule fairly over us. They decided that each of us had our place in our society and so they began to divide us into separate castes, each of them based on the old clans that the fathers of our people had made. My family and other families who were in my clan were considered low born because many of the Elders remembered the war, our father, was the one who unfairly claimed the clan of his dead brother, and sought to take it away from his niece, his dead brother's daughter. It was punishment for what he had done to the rest of the Mala'shi and my clan, caste suffered for it. We were considered the lowest of the low. We had to serve the other castes and this was our punishment for something but an arrogant brother had done to his niece. It was not our fault. Although our caste carried that guilt at that time, I think they might have carried it because they believed that they were the cause of the civil war, the one you put to an end. Thousands of years have gone by, and most have forgotten why my caste is suffered to shame, but not my caste, not my clan. We remember. We can not progress, some occupations are denied to us. I….I once was taught healing, by a woman who knew she was breaking the law of the castes but she said I had a gift for feeling life in others and that I should be trained. She…wasn't caught when she trained me but she was training others secretly. When she was found out, she was beaten and left for dead. I know of many similar stories of others who were punished in the same way. I spoke out against it. Others began to join me. And then the Elders grew afraid, for in truth, the castes kept them in power and supported their government, and their way of life. Revolution and Civil War returned to the planet, my revolution was crushed and many people died, including my family. I thought that I would be put to death but instead they exiled me here, I have been here what humans called the year 1461 or was it 1561. I can not remember. It has been a long time, I have gotten older since that time and today you find me. That is my story. And that is what has happened since you have left, Doctor."

The Doctor sighed and looked introspective. He knew as anything else all societies had to progress on their own. But it certainly seemed that Ta'sheeka and a segment of the Mala'shraian race had gotten a raw deal. He remembered in his fourth incantation, that he had repaired a computer, and in the end it had caused a great deal of mess later on. When he came back later he had found a computer with a case of schizophrenia, a tribe called the Sevateem and a group of technologically advanced people called the Tesh. He had met Leela back then in his travels. He supposed he felt sorry for the mess he had ended up causing those humans; in fact he ended up taking Leela along for the ride. He sighed yet again; to say he was entirely blameless was not entirely true. He had been like a domino causing a chain reaction of events that caused Ta'sheeka's society to progress the way it had. He was responsible or at the very most partially responsible for what had happened and he looked at Ta'sheeka.

"I am sorry, I am so sorry. I had no idea that what I did would end up causing problems for you and your race. It hasn't been the first time something I have done has gone awry. Can you forgive me?"

Ta'sheeka looked deep in thought as well. She could hate this man. She could hate him for what he had done to her race, but she was 567 years old. She only had another 500 or so years of life left. Her first moments on this planet had been ones of revenge against her people, but over the centuries she had gotten older and perhaps a bit more reflective over her life and her existence. She never thought she would ever run into the man, the stranger of the blue box, who had made a mess of things on her home. Her anger had been mostly at the elders. Although finding the reactionary cause for the way her society had turned out had given her some anger and resentment. After all she had been on this planet for at least a good five hundred or six hundred years or so. It could be easy to hate the Doctor. She sighed, "My exile lies heavily upon me. It is difficult to give forgiveness to someone when many centuries of pain have been with me. Perhaps in time I will find it in my heart to forgive you completely, but I do not hate you. I thought I would, but I can not."

The Doctor sighed, although he looked slightly pained that Ta'sheeka could not completely forgive him. He knew better than anyone that healing took time. It had taken him at least one life and Rose to feel himself start to heal from the scars of the Time War. Maybe he could help her to heal as well. After all, what was that saying that humans were so fond of? Time heals all wounds? Yes, that was the saying. And looking at Ta'sheeka he said, "I understand, take all the time you need. You can stay as long as you want on the TARDIS, it's the least I can do for all that has happened to you."

Ta'sheeka bowed her head slightly in respect, "I thank you for your hospitality."


	6. Conversational Time Lord

**A/N: Oh well, guess this isn't really the story too many people like to read. But I so do like to write stories and this one I can honestly say is partially my own creative talents. Well except for Doctor Who, that I do not own. Title is a bit cheesy, couldn't honestly think of anything else to name it. But it grows on me. End is a bit silly, and I was laughing all the way when I finished it. It seems so very 10th Doctorish. Hehe. You'll see when you get to it. ;) **

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**Chapter 6: Conversational Time Lord **

The Doctor fingered the cloak that Ta'sheeka wore; it had changed color since last night. It had been a dark blue almost black in color, blending in perfectly with the darkness. Now it was slightly a golden hew as she walked around the TARDIS control area. The Mala'shra used living things in their technology. The cloak was a living animal or was it plant? That was the problem with Mala'shra bio-tech, the lines between animal, vegetable, and mineral slightly blurred. He liked the cloak which had a chameleon like affect blending into the environment around it. He grinned, "No wonder humans had a hard time finding you. You blend right in. The TARDIS use to do that as well, she'd blend into the environment all the time, but the circuit got stuck and it's been a big blue box ever since."

Ta'sheeka laughed lightly, it had been a long time since she had laughed, and she stated, "Your ship is a poor servant to leave you in such a precarious manner."

The Doctor chuckled lightly, "I guess I do stick out like a sore thumb. For a Mala'shraian to recognize the TARDIS from over countless millennia ago is kind of embarrassing."

She took her cloak off her and handed it to the Doctor, "I have no gift to give you for your hospitality. It is always proper to give a host a gift, you want my Ra'lia cloak you may have it."

The Doctor shook his head, "Nah, I don't want it, besides I don't charge people to stay on the TARDIS." He handed the cloak back to her, "Besides you might need it."

Rose came into the room after getting cleaned up and dressed; she was a bit annoyed at how the Doctor was getting on with Ta'sheeka. She really shouldn't be jealous of her, after all, it must be hard to be stranded on a planet for a long time, scared that you were going to be found and killed. But the Doctor and Ta'sheeka were hitting it off so very well. Of course it probably didn't help that she was almost as old as the Doctor.

He scratched his head a bit, "Why exactly did your people decide not to put you to death?"

Ta'sheeka looked a bit dejected, "I was a patriot. A leader of words and…" She paused for a moment, sorrow weighed heavily upon her and she continued, "Violence as well, I could stir up many to fight. I had thought that my death would bring my people to action, a martyr. I suppose the Elders thought the same thing and so they denied me a hero's death and gave me a humiliating exile."

She bowed her head looking a bit ashamed that she was still alive. The Doctor gave her a bit of a squeeze across the shoulders, "A hero's death isn't all that it's cracked up to be, Ta'sheeka. Believe me I know. It's down right painful and….stupid." He then smiled, "Besides you can do so much more being alive than being dead."

The Doctor looked up and saw Rose, "Rose….you should see this cloak that she has." He took Ta'sheeka's cloak and handed it to Rose, "Feel it, feels a bit like fur, a bit like reptile, and a bit like plant. What do you call it Ta'sh…do you mind if I call you Ta'sh?"

Ta'sheeka shook her head negatively and looked very much alarmed at the Doctor calling her that. It stirred memories within her and some of them were quite painful, "Call me Tash or call me Ta'shee or Tashee, but do not call me Ta'sh. My….." She sighed, "My parents and my siblings called me that….and "

"Oh sorry…"

Ta'sheeka sighed, "It is Ra'lia, it once belonged to many animals and plants, and then my people altered its genetic structure and made it into a seed so it would be easier to carry with us and planted and grew it. We make many types of clothing from it. I had some of the seeds with me when I was exiled and grew it so that I might have something to keep me warm and to keep me cool as well as change its color to hide me from the eyes of many."

Rose felt the strange cloak, she didn't know what to make of it, and it wasn't as if she hadn't seen anything stranger or weirder for that matter. She wondered if the Doctor was acting a bit oddly around their new guest. Then again, the Doctor always acted odd.

"It's nice…," she muttered lightly and handed the cloak back to its owner.

Ta'sheeka smiled lightly and then said, "Would you like it? The Doctor will not accept gifts and I still feel that it is not right that he should not take a gift for giving me the gift of hospitality."

Rose raised her eyebrow; this girl was really coming off as annoying. Giving the Doctor gifts, honestly, what was next? Rose muttered something under her breath and took the cloak. She draped it around her shoulders, it was a bit odd. She thought she could feel the cloak wiggling a bit as she put it on.

The Doctor clapped his hands, "It looks nice on you Rose, and it looks very distinguished."

"I look ridiculous that's what I look. And it's crawling on my skin."

Ta'sheeka said calmly, "It takes time to adjust to your size. It will stop doing that eventually. Plus it's getting a feel of your body temperature, so it can find a comfortable temperature to keep you warm or cool."

Rose rolled her eyes, "Whatever….it's just plain weird."

Ta'sheeka looked hurt and then she said, "Perhaps you are the weird one, human."

And Ta'sheeka stormed off down the halls of the TARDIS. The Doctor shook his head disapprovingly, "Rose, what's the matter? I know you don't go offending people all the time. That's ummm…something I usually do, not you. And you usually have to remind me."

"Ever since she's been here, she's…." Rose was a bit uncomfortable. Ever since they met Sarah Jane Smith, she had been nervous about how the Doctor was around people, particularly other women. She wasn't particularly sure what her feelings were for the Doctor. He was a friend and yet more than a friend. All that time before, she had thought she had been the only person who had been with the Doctor and suddenly she had found out that there were others.

"What?"

"I have seen the way she's been acting around you. Offering gifts to you."

"That's Mala'shraian custom, Rose. They always offer something to hosts. It's not right to take something from people without offering something in return. I refused it, what would I do with a cloak like that? When she offered it to you, she was basically reoffering it to me."

"Okay. But all those smiles she was giving you."

"She's lonely, Rose. She's been exiled on Earth for over 500 years. No friends, no one to talk to, think about it. If you were exiled on a strange planet for a long time and you finally met someone you could talk to, you'd welcome the chance just to talk and be friendly."

Rose sighed and shook her head, why was it that the Doctor just didn't get it? She cared for him, didn't he say he cared for her as well. Maybe because this alien was at least in the same age range as the Doctor, maybe the Doctor was becoming attached to her.

"So what do you want me to do Rose, ignore her? Pretend she doesn't exist?"

"No, I just want to know how you feel about me."

The Doctor looked down at the floor for a moment at his converse trainers and then he looked back up at her "Rose Tyler, are you jealous?"

Rose shook her head negatively and the Doctor grinned, "Yea you are. You're turning as green as a Slitheen."

Rose smirked lightly and the Doctor smiled and then his face turned serious, "Now Rose Tyler we had this conversation last time. I am a Time Lord…."

Rose sighed, "I know, humans wither and die and you regenerate…."

The Doctor nodded and then stroked Rose's cheek carefully, "Besides what makes you think Tash has any feelings for me? If you were to talk to her, she'd probably say I am not her type. Mala'shra are a bit like the Trees from the Forest Cheem we met on Platform 1."

Rose raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying she's part plant?"

The Doctor nodded, "Very much so. Although Mala'shra really don't talk about it that much, but they are planted like plants and for five years they are plant, then they sprout and they look like you and me."

Rose wrinkled up her face, "So they are plant and then they age in reverse. Whoa, that is a strange race…"

The Doctor sighed, "Most Mala'shra already know they are the exception rather than the norm from most races. When they started exploring the universe they suddenly realized that no one else was like them. Then other races started to take advantage of them, even though they managed to beat other races back, they came home and basically curtailed their traveling habits. It's kind of sad actually. But calling Tash or any of her technology weird hurts more than you realize. You should go apologize to her."

Rose sighed; she really didn't want to apologize. But she supposed she should. The Doctor gave her that firm look that made her shudder lightly, "All right, I am going. Don't everyone thank me all at once."

The Doctor smiled and watched as Rose walked off. She wandered around looking for Tash. She looked in the room she had been in earlier and did not find her. Then she looked around the various rooms finally coming to the TARDIS's garden. Rose remembered what the Doctor had said about Mala'shra being part plant, she looked around and found Tash digging around with a garden tool around the garden.

"Hey, I see you like gardening."

Tash said nothing but kept digging with the tool.

Rose sighed, now she was giving her the cold shoulder. Rose knew that she couldn't go back to the Doctor if all Tash was going to do was ignore her. What was she going to do? "Thanks for the gift…"

Tash said nothing and kept digging and pulled out some seeds from her pocket. Rose felt discouraged, this wasn't going very well. What was she going to tell the Doctor when Tash refused to recognize her presence?

Rose watched suddenly as a light glow came from the seeds and from Tash and a few leaves and roots sprouted from the seeds. A beautiful flower came forth from the seedling that Tash had miraculously grown from the seed.

Tash then quietly planted the seedling in the ground.

Rose said softly, "How...how do you do that?"

Tash looked at Rose for a moment, "It is my people's connection to plant life. They say it is a gift that the goddess Mala left us. Others say it is a genetic trait we have, an ability to alter the genetic properties of plant life. I think…." Tash paused for a moment and smiled lightly, "I think the truth lies somewhere in between."

"Well whatever the truth is, I think it's an interesting trait to have." Rose thought this was a good time to apologize and she said, "I am sorry. I said some rude things. I don't know why…."

Tash looked up and smiled, "You are fond of the Doctor."

Rose frowned, "Now wait a minute how do you know that?"

Tash began to dig another hole in the ground, "Pheromones. I can smell them."

Rose blushed lightly, "What do you mean smell?"

"You give off a bit of an odor. I can smell it."

"What?"

The Doctor entered the garden with a grin on his face, "It's something plants and insects sometimes give off. Humans don't give off anything like that."

Rose looked a bit embarrassed, "Doctor, you've been listening to us?"

"Of course, I wanted to make sure you two were making up. I got intrigued. Tash, humans don't give off pheromones. Now body odor, that's something else."

Rose blushed a bright shade of red, "Hey! I do not smell…."

The Doctor grinned, "Sure you do. You just don't notice it and you mask it with deodorant."

Rose muttered something lightly under her breath, like she really wanted to know all that. And Tash wasn't helping the Doctor's eccentric or bizarre personality. Then again, Tash wasn't exactly human either. This whole day was getting weirder, not like that was anything new in her life with the Doctor, but having another alien on the TARDIS, this was going to be interesting to say the least.

He looked at Tash, "You must have a pretty good nose to smell human perspiration."

Tash shrugged lightly, "When I first came here, I slowly started to notice that humans smelled a bit strangely. Sometimes it wasn't too strong, other times it was and it was always different. Some smelled sweet, others very sour. I think it might have helped me some, I could tell when they were coming, and then I would hide."

The Doctor nodded, "Survival instinct. I don't think I ever recalled a Mala'shraian that could do what you could do Tash. Must be some sort of evolutionary remnant your people had a long time ago. Your exile here must have caused it to reactivate, probably caused by chemicals in your nervous system reacting to fear. Absolutely amazing."

Rose coughed a bit, "Doctor, this is all fascinating but shouldn't we do something to help Tash out. I mean take her back to her home planet or something." All Rose could think of at the moment was the sooner they got Tash back home to her planet the better.


	7. Home Sweet Home?

**A/N: And the plot thickens some more. Hope you enjoy it. I own nothing of Doctor Who but I do own Tash and some of the other characters within this story. **

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**Chapter 7: Home Sweet Home? **

The Doctor began setting coordinates for Tash's planet. He grinned lightly and suddenly the TARDIS dematerialized. Tash looked a bit space sick and nervous. He wondered why? Wouldn't she be happy to see her home? And Rose seemed ready to leave Tash as quickly as they found her. Maybe Tash could sense that? She was after all telepathic. She looked a bit dejected. The TARDIS dematerialized on Mala'shi. Ta'sheeka sighed lightly. The Doctor asked her, "Are you all right Tash?"

Tash shook her head negatively, "They said they would kill me if I came back." The Doctor gave a good pat on her back, "If they even lay one finger on you, they won't know what will happen."

Tash nodded but she still looked a bit downhearted, she didn't know why but part of her felt sad. Perhaps she never thought she would come home. Perhaps she really didn't have anyone at home that would miss her; at least she didn't think so. Her family was dead and most of her friends and those she knew were probably dead as well.

But she walked slowly to the door of the TARDIS and the Doctor looked out and both her and Rose followed. Tash took a look around seeing if she could recognize where they were. Buildings were around them, made of the green blocks, that looked slightly like peat but so much stronger than peat. A great wall of the same blocks was in front of them. Although it was oddly quiet. She smiled lightly at the familiar surroundings of her home. "The city of the goddess, may she be blessed for eternity."

The Doctor smiled lightly at Tash's words but then he frowned, "Seems rather quiet if you ask me. Where is everyone?"

Rose nodded, "It's like a ghost town, without the ghosts."

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully, "Come on lets go see if we can find anybody here. Tash, this is your home, you lead the way."

Tash nodded and she quietly led the Doctor and Rose to the gates of the city. But as they entered the threshold of the city she suddenly screamed, before her were the dead bodies of a Mala'shraian guards. There bones were bleached and there hands held onto a staff weapons. Tash looked behind the gate to find more dead and bleached bones of others with weapons in their hands. All of the dead were poised in scenes of combat and warfare.

The Doctor sighed, "This does not look good…."

"At least there aren't any ghosts, lots of dead bodies though," Rose commented not entirely thrilled with the situation.

"Uhh Rose, that's not entirely true. Cities have a sprit, have a soul to them. When the inhabitants die or leave them behind, residual psychic energy is left behind. It can leave behind what you humans might call ghosts. Although technically it's not really ghosts." The Doctor said commenting on the situation.

Tash sighed she pulled a weapon away from one of the corpses, "It's my fault….I caused my people to wipe each other out."

The Doctor looked at all the dead Mala'shraians. War. Just when he thought he could escape the nightmares of his own past, he had come back to a planet he had once saved and now it seemed for naught. It hit him hard, and the disheartened looks on Tash's face made him want to break down and cry with her. This was her race, and for all he knew, she could very well be the last of her race, much like he was the last of the Time Lords. But he gulped it all down; he had to be strong for her. Or at least try to be. He had to consider alternatives and he voiced them to her.

"Don't blame yourself, Tash. One we don't know if it was your fault. You may have encouraged your people to revolt against your own government but that doesn't mean your actions caused them to go to war and destroy each other. Plus this is just one segment of your planet. There are other places, Tash. Maybe your people rebuilt elsewhere."

Tash considered the Doctor's words, "Perhaps, but my people wouldn't have let the city of our beloved goddess to go to ruins like this. This is her center, a place of sanctuary. Her tree, which we believe was the first thing that existed on our planet, is most holy. It is said that from her roots, that the first Mala'shraians came forth. We built our city around her tree. I do not know how much is myth, or how much is actually the truth, but my people wouldn't have abandoned a holy city. They would have preserved it, even if death came to this part of my world."

The Doctor's hearts sank with Tash's words, she was right. Why would Tash's people abandon a city that was considered sacred to them? It was because there was no one left to rebuild it.

A tear went down Tash's eye, "I am alone. I once thought that I would die with my people in war or at least in a cause that was worthy of death and…."

The Doctor nodded, "I know… my people too Tash, they are all dead as well."

The Doctor paused for a moment trying to find the words to continue and then he said, "I fought in a war too… not like this though. But in the end they all died. For a time I wanted to die with them. "

Tash looked at the Doctor, "Who are your people, Doctor? I wish to know. That I might burn sweet Tal'ka incense for both my people and yours, there is a temple to the goddess here, and I will offer incense in memory of their lives. "

" The Time Lords from the planet Gallifrey."

Rose had been quiet for the longest; she felt like an idiot, she didn't know what to say. She had wanted to get rid of Tash and now she felt guilty. "I am sorry Tash." She really didn't know what else to say. Everything else felt slightly hollow within her, she could have mentioned about her father but she didn't, somehow it just didn't seem appropriate.

Tash looked at Rose as if considering something to say but changed her mind. "Come, I wish to see the records of my people. Perhaps it will tell us what happened."

The Doctor nodded, "That's a good idea…"

Tash began to progress through the empty city. The Doctor followed and Rose did as well. Tash paused for a moment. Tash's ears twitched lightly. "I hear something…."

Rose frowned a bit and strained her hearing as hard as she could, "I don't hear anything."

Tash sighed, "It is real faint, like a gust of wind but I hear it. Someone is crying."

The Doctor paused too and he closed his eyes and was quiet and frowned for a moment and then opened his eyes. "I hear it too, Tash."

Tash's eyes brightened, "Then someone could have survived. Come on!" Tash ran after the crying voice.

"Tash, wait! That could be…." The Doctor sighed as he watched the lithe form of Tash run off. "I just get done telling you, Rose about residual psychic energy and she goes running off."

Rose smiled wanly, "At least this time I am not the one running off."

The Doctor smiled, "Nope…and it's a good thing too. It's bad enough having one person run off."

Suddenly the cry got louder as they went following after Tash and Rose cringed, "It sounds like someone grieving, not like a cry of someone that has gotten hurt."

The Doctor nodded and smiled, Rose had gotten so smart these past few years traveling with him. Rose said, "You don't suppose someone actually survived this, do you?"

The Doctor bent down towards one of the dead bodies, ""These bodies have been here for quite some time, Rose. The bones are bleached white, which means they have at least been here at the most twenty to thirty years, it might be longer. If someone is grieving, their loss….it's hard to say, Rose. It's unsettling to say the least."

They heard Tash's voice calling out happily and they ran after her, and they saw Tash's back as they ran and all three of them entered a building. It looked a bit like a temple or a religious edifice of some sort. Various altars were before them and as they entered they found Tash staring at a young white haired girl who looked to be five years of age. If she noticed them, she did not pay them any mind. She was wailing and crying as if mourning and then she took a stick of incense out from the white robe she wore. The Doctor watched as she burned the incense on the altar and then the five year old muttered various prayers. She finished and then she turned around and saw the Doctor, Rose, and Tash.

"They're all gone...," She said. "No one is left, just me. There has been no noise in this city for over a hundred years. Have you come to mourn there passing?"


	8. The Mysterious Child

**A/N: In which, the Sci-Fi Fantasy become slightly Supernatural in this chapter. But I will probably be writing another story with Ta'sheeka in it. The story is almost over. Just one chapter left. I am kind of sad that it's over. But I am glad that I spent the time writing it. **

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**Chapter 8: The Mysterious Child **

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, a white haired Mala'shraian elder? Since when did Mala'shraians have white hair? Although his curiosity is drawn to the elder, the child, she had to be old. Since Mala'shraians age in reverse, she had to be almost at the end of her life. "Who are you?"

She smiled softly, "The question is, who are you?"

The Doctor chuckled, "Fair enough. I am the Doctor. My human friend is Rose Tyler, and I brought Ta'sheeka home. I didn't know that everyone here was dead."

Rose smiled as best as she could and waved when the Doctor mentioned her name, but there was something that seemed wrong about it. She grasped the Doctor's hand and grasped it hard. He squeezed it back for reassurance, which meant that he knew that there was something wrong here.

The girl gave a smile, "Doctor. Peculiar name, if that is your name. I have several but I am known by most as At'atara."

The Doctor frowned, "Star Child? That is what that name means, in ancient Mala'shraian dialect. Modern translation would be Mysterious Child."

The child smiled, "My white hair, Doctor. It is as white as the stars and mysterious as the planet. Is that why you have come back, Doctor?"

The Doctor frowned and he looked at the girl suspiciously, something about this girl didn't seem right, it was the white hair and the name she went by, "No….I came here to bring Ta'sheeka home. What happened to the planet?"

The girl sighed and looked sad, "Children. They were children, Doctor."

She walked over to Ta'sheeka and smiled lightly. Her mental gaze was powerful and suddenly Ta'sheeka wilted over as if she was a leaf to the ground.

The Doctor glared at the child, "Stop it….leave her alone."

At'atara sighed and sat down and gently stroked Ta'sheeka's hair, "Why? She's a child too." At'atara bent down and kissed Ta'sheeka on the forehead, "She is the only child that is left."

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and ran it over the child, "Psychic energy, you're not real, not in the same physical sense that we are. You're a mental projection of some sort. What have you done to her? What have you done to the planet?"

Ta'sheeka was curled around in a fetal like position around the white haired child. The girl sighed, "Doctor, do not be afraid of me. I am not here to harm anyone. Ta'sheeka is a child. More specifically, she is my child. All the Mala'shraians were my children. I am very old, Doctor. My memory goes back to several turnings of this planet. I saw the sun wheel grow bright in the sky. I felt life come into me. It took millions of eons to create my children, I do not know who formed me but I know that I formed them. I come here often to weep and mourn what happened to my children. My roots are tied here, so very strongly now."

The girl sighed and something deep in the planet moved. Roots deep in the cracks of the ground and underneath the room creaked the building. The Doctor took out his glasses and put them on and looked at the roots that were in the room. Ta'sheeka had mentioned a scared tree, which belonged to the goddess, and it suddenly was beginning to make sense to him.

"They called me the goddess. They called me Mala, which in old Mala'shraian means…."

The Doctor sighed, "It means mother."

The girl nodded, "Mother or children of the goddess. My roots go far into this planet, if you must know. I am the planet. This planet is connected to every living thing upon it. But now my children are dead, and I all I have left is Ta'sheeka."

Rose stood speechless through the whole skeptical, this was weird. "Doctor, since when do planets speak?"

The Doctor chuckled, "I guess this one does. You're the consciousness of this planet. Fair enough. But let Ta'sheeka go. I don't like it."

The girl looked a bit sad and then propped Ta'sheeka up and Ta'sheeka spoke, "Oh Doctor, she's wonderful. I can feel her in her my mind, she's so very warm and comforting."

The Doctor snorted, "I am not completely convinced, Tash. Even planets can be evil. Why didn't you save your children from killing themselves?"

The girl sighed and said, "What can I say to get you to trust me, Doctor? Children are children. Is it right for a mother or a father to always step in and save them? Surely you must have had children? Did you always step in and save them? Or did you let them grown, learn and falter on their own? How often did I want to keep the Mala'shraians from hurting themselves? They would kill each other. Murder each other? They would do so many terrible things, but children must grow on their own, even though it hurts. Look inside yourself, I know what you are Time Lord. Your people were there when my body was formed. I trust you, why won't you trust me?"

The Doctor sighed and was quiet. Thinking deeply over this whole thing, the last time he was here he thought he felt something here. There was something mysterious and wonderful about this planet. And now he knew why, however, part of him was distrustful, maybe it was just a part of him that had fought so many aliens and then some, but he was concerned, very concerned. But the planet's words did strike a tone with him, he too had been a father. He too had worried for his people and after the Time War, he had mourned that they were gone, "All right…on a few conditions. One, tell me what happened to this planet."

"It was a massive civil war like no other. After Ta'sheeka was banished, her supporters rose up in anger and assassinated the elders quietly and secretly. Chaos erupted shortly after the death of the leaders of the people. A war lasted for at least 500 years. In which no side won, and no side lost. In the end, the last few remnants of this planet gathered here in one last battle at my city. The last two Mala'shraians saw they were alone and the last of their people. One asked for a truce and flew a flag to which the other honored. The one who flew the flag begged that they live in peace, but the other was a an evil vengeful person and he refused to surrender, because he was angered at the death of everyone he knew and so the two fought and in the end, both killed each other, and so was the end of my children."

The Doctor cringed lightly at what the planet had said. Other races could be so stupid at times, "Next, what do you want of Ta'sheeka?"

"She is the last of my children. But she may do what she chooses. I have no desire to have unhappy children. But I need the genetic material from one living Mala'shraian, I can form new children, but…they would not be the same. Nothing will ever be the same and it would take me millions of years to do so yet again and they would be a people filled with sorrow, because my heart is pained with grief. I wish to be a mother again and now that she is here, she may replant the planet with my children, but that is her choice and not mine. She would be a mother of Mala'shi, there is no greater honor to be had."

Ta'sheeka cringed lightly, "Me a mother….but don't I need someone for that?"

A light heavy rumble like laugh issued forth and shook the halls, "I am Mala, I formed you, I gave rise to all the offspring that have ever existed. Do not worry about such things, through you the planet may live again, and be as you see fit. You wanted a free society, you may have one, and although it has always been my wish to have a society such as you dreamed of, all those years you sprouted. But this is your decision not mine."

The Doctor sighed, "Think it over carefully Tash, a chance to rebuild and repopulate your planet. I…." The Doctor sighed, "I wish I had a choice like you have. If I had a chance to have my people restored, I'd take it in a hearts beat. But it's your choice."

Tash sighed, "But I…..I…don't know. I…." She ran over and gave the Doctor a hug, "I'd miss you. Besides I like your blue box."

The Doctor grinned "Awww, I'll miss you too Tash, even though we just met. But it's your choice."

Tash sighed, she looked pained between wanting to follow what the planet wanted and being with her new friends, "I…..want to be with you Doctor."

The Doctor frowned, "Tash…..don't. Don't worry about me. I have Rose. You should stay here. You shouldn't let yourself be the last Mala'shraian. There is already the last of the Time Lords, don't let yourself become that, don't let your race die out because you want to come with me. Although I am really flattered, please don't do it."

Tash sighed,"But I'll miss you and besides motherhood isn't all that it's cracked up to be"

"I know parenting isn't easy, but hey, at least you won't be lonely," He grinned lightly.

Tash sighed, "Will you promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"Please visit me sometime. I don't want to be stuck here with so many offspring that I don't know what to do with them."

The Doctor grinned and then began to recite, "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe that had so many children she didn't know what to do."

Tash cocked her head curiously for a moment, "Huh?"

The Doctor grinned lightly, and he ruffled her hair a bit. "I promise Tash, I'll come and visit you. Seeing how you're going to miss me."

Tash smiled and then hugged the Doctor once more and then she went over and hugged Rose and whispered in her ear, "Do not hide your feelings for the Doctor forever, earthen flower. You love him, be good to him and keep him safe."

Rose blushed lightly and Ta'sheeka giggled lightly and letting go of Rose she said, "I suppose I will be busy, my people can have lots of children."

Rose sighed this whole thing had been weird, Tash herself was unusual. But she was glad that Tash had been there for her and had saved her life. Rose smiled and then said, "I suppose you will, what with all those children."

Tash smiled and said, "I know what I will call my first children if she is a girl. I will call her Rose."

Rose blushed even more, "But won't that be weird for a Mala'shra to have a name like that?"

Tash frowned as if confused.

Rose shook her head and the Doctor chuckled lightly. Rose had no idea. "Oh never mind, Rose I'll explain it to you later when we get back to the TARDIS. I guess I did end up saving the Mala'shraian race after all, if it wasn't for me, I wouldn't have ended up bringing Tash back home."

Rose rolled her eyes, "Doctor, you're getting egotistical again."

The Doctor frowned, "Well it's true…if I hadn't brought Tash home, the planet would still be here mourning the death of the Mala'shraian race.

Rose sighed and shook her head; really the Doctor could be so full of it.

The Doctor looked at the white haired girl, "And you better take good care of Ta'sheeka. If I hear otherwise. I'll destroy you. I destroyed my own world, what makes you think I can't destroy you as well?"

The girl laughed lightly and then she sighed, "I envy you Doctor?"

The Doctor frowned, "Huh? Aren't you even scared that I can wipe you out and destroy you?"

The girl shook her head slightly amused by the Doctor's words, "Even I know that death comes to all things, even to me. One day my life will end as well, but I envy you. At least you can see the universe, but I am a planet. I can not see anything beyond my own horizons and down into the depths of my own roots. My children once thought I existed everywhere, but I do not. I only exist here. What is out there Doctor?"

The Doctor smiled, "Lots of amazing things. Lots of nasty things too….but it's amazing."

The girl suddenly grabbed hold of the Doctor's hand, her face a measure of curiosity, "Tell me…."

The Doctor chuckled, amused that a planetary consciousness could be as curious as any other living being. "I suppose I could spend some time telling you a few stories about my travels."

The girl smiled eagerly, "It would please me to no end…."

The Doctor smiled and began to recount a few of his stories. Rose sighed; she had a feeling that they were going to be here for a little while.


	9. Epilogue

**A/N: Okay this is the end. Very short, but...here it is. Hope you all enjoyed the story. Stay tuned another Doctor and Ta'sheeka story is due sometime in the future. **

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**Chapter 9: Epilogue **

The Doctor and Rose gave Tash one more hug as they entered the TARDIS. The Doctor began to set the ship back to London, Earth, and the Powell Estates. Rose turned to the Doctor, "Doctor, you were going to tell me why Tash looked at me oddly when I said that naming a daughter Rose would be weird."

The Doctor smiled, "Of course Rose. On Earth, you're named after a type of flower. But lots of planets have Roses. Even Ta'sheeka's. On her planet, her name is just another name for a type of flower, also known as a Rose."

Rose coughed, "What? Here all this time you knew that and you didn't even tell me. Why didn't the TARDIS translate her name?"

The Doctor grinned, "The TARDIS doesn't translate names, Rose. Besides I thought it was nice to have two Roses here."

She glared at the Doctor, "Why I ought to…."

The Doctor grinned and set the TARDIS on its journey, it shook and Rose fell over onto the floor of the TARDIS, Rose looked up at the Doctor, "You did that on purpose…."

The Doctor looked a bit sheepish as the TARDIS began its journey back to Earth. "Come on Rose, would I honestly cause the TARDIS to shimmy all over the place and knock you over?"

She snorted, "Just you wait till I get home, Doctor. You are so going to get it."


End file.
